An Ultrasonic Seminiferous Tubule Imaging beyond Wavelength Limit

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25670689
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Urology
• Research Institution: University of Hyogo
• Principal Investigator: HATA YUTAKA 兵庫県立大学, シミュレーション学研究科, 教授 (20218473)
• Research Collaborator: ISHIKAWA Tomomoto
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 男性不妊症 / 超音波検査 / 波長限界 / 周波数解析 / ファジィ論理 / フーリエ変換 / ウエブレット変換 / 医用計測システム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The possibility that thick seminiferous tubules (300μm in diameter) include the sperm is higher than that of thin seminiferous tubules (100μm in diameter). Ultrasonic measurements usually employ Pulse-Echo method. The method calculates an object depth by detecting a received wave time. This spatial resolution of the method is determined by a wavelength of ultrasonic. (1) Our study group proposed a characteristic between ultrasonic reflection wave frequency and line thickness. Our research indicated that a frequency of thick lines (three soft matters) is lower than it of a thin line. This relation does not hold for metals. (2) An ultrasonic imaging technique is provided for seminiferous tubules in a testicle. By using the above characteristic, we make a cross-section image that indicates a distribution of seminiferous tubules beyond the wavelength limit. This image clearly locates the thick or thin lines.

Free Research Field

医用システム